Psychology Careers

Psychology Careers are among the fastest growing and best paid careers for college graduates. Psychology has always been a popular college course and psychology careers are growing with many options available to the college graduate.

Psychology Careers and What Do Psychologists Do

Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and human behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and their environments.
A psychologists may work independently, conducting research or working with patients. Psychologists also work as part of a healthcare team, collaborating with physicians and social workers or in school settings, working with students, teachers, parents, and other educators. Some psychologists are in private practice where they work directly with their own clients.

Psychology Careers the Broad Range

There are a variety of options for psychology careers. Psychology careers range from psychiatric technician to private practice, becoming a sports psychologist, or working for a large company as an industrial psychologists, to name a few.

Education Requirements Psychology Careers

A college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology will have a variety of entry level psychology careers available to them. Many psychology careers will require a masters or doctorate in psychology.

With an undergraduate education you will be able to start developing your skills in psychology with employment such as the division of division of human or social services . There are positions such as case management, career counselor, rehabilitation specialists and psychiatric technician. From here you will be in a position to decide if these are psychology careers that you want to make as your life’s work. You may decide to go in a different direction or pursue a graduate degree in psychology.

Counselor Psychology Careers

The work of counselor is among the most popular psychology careers. To become a counselor, you will need a master’s degree. You will generally be required to pass a license exam to work in your profession.

The median annual pay for counselor’s is now in the range of $50,000 per year. Once established and as you move along in your career you will have the potential to earn even more. The work of counselors involves helping people deal with their personal problems in every aspect of their lives. Many professionals work in their private practice, others work in clinics, public schools and universities.

Forensic Psychology Careers

Forensic psychology is one of the trendiest psychology careers, popularized by such television shows as CSI and Cracker. The work is intriguing, but not without challenges. Forensic psychologists use their knowledge to investigate crimes and create profiles of suspects. They are also actively involved in investigating abuse and helping victims of abuse.

Forensic psychologists are reasonably well paid. The median annual salary of such professionals is around $60,000. If you are looking for a career that offers intrigue and a bit of stress forensic psychology may be for you. Expect a career in forensic psychology to be psychologically challenging and emotionally exhausting.

Sports Psychology Careers

Another one of the presently popular careers is sports psychology. Professionals working in this field focus on motivating athletes. They help them become more focused and achieve better performance. Sports psychologists also aid athletes in overcoming psychological traumas and physical injuries.

As a sports psychologist, you can have your own private practice or work in an athletic center or a university. Many sports teams and individual athletes hire such professionals as well. That is why the annual remuneration varies from as low as $45,000 a year to as much as $80,000 a year.

Industrial Organizational Psychology Careers the Fastest Growing of All

Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, industrial organizational psychologists is the fastest growing among the psychology careers and all professions. Industrial psychology has an expected 53% growth expected through the year 2022.

In 2012 the median pay was $83,500. Many in this psychology career are making around $100, 000 or more working for a large company. The work of industrial psychologists involves helping managers increase the productivity within the company. They are also responsible for analyzing the motivation of employees and adopting strategies for improving it.